Use the Actions pane to enable encryption and open the Encryption method area.

Fig. 2. Encryption should be enabled BEFORE adding files to a Zip file

Choose what is more important to you – the reliability of WinZip AES encryption or the versatility of standard Zip 2.0. Save your preferences:

Fig. 3. Ensure the correct encryption method has been selected in WinZip

The selected encryption method will be used when creating WinZip files in future until you change and save new settings.

Select files and folders to zip, add them to the Zip file pane and enter a password:

Fig. 4. Memorize or write down your Zip file password

For data security reasons WinZip may not accept your password if it is “weak” that is too simple. Password complexity settings can be changed in the Options window: Settings → WinZip Options → Passwords

In the window appeared select the options for the Zip file: file name, destination, compression type, (here you can also specify the encryption algorithm):

Fig. 8. It is possible to edit Zip file name, its location and encryption parameters in the window

Click Add to create your Zip file. So easy!

How to add files to an encrypted Zip file

Check out WinZip Knowledge Base to see how to add files to a password-protected Zip file and how to create an encrypted archive using WinZip Classic interface.

How to remove encryption from a Zip file

In the case you need to remove password protection from your Zip file you will have to unzip it and create a new unencrypted Zip file.

It is not possible to delete a password and disable encryption of an existing Zip file using WinZip. In fact it is not the Zip file itself that gets encrypted but the data inside that are encrypted once a file is being compressed.

To remove password protection from a Zip file unzip all the files using the original password and then create a new Zip file without setting up a password.

How to remove password protection in Zip file without knowing the password

It is impossible to access data of a password protected Zip file without having the password. If the password for a Zip file has been lost or forgotten it’ll have to be recovered.

Basically the process of password recovery consists in browsing through all possible variants using special software. The search continues until the needed combination is found. The efficiency of a password cracking software depends on the rate at which passwords can be tested. The more elaborate its scanning tools are the sooner such software will find (recover) a lost password for a Zip file.